Republic of Fiji Military Forces | |
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![]() Cap Badge of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces | |
Founded | 1940 |
Current form | 2013 |
Service branches | |
Headquarters | Suva |
Website | rfmf |
Leadership | |
Commander-in-chief | Wiliame Katonivere |
Prime Minister | Sitiveni Rabuka |
Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration | Pio Tikoduadua |
Commander RFMF | Major General Jone Kalouniwai |
Personnel | |
Conscription | No |
Available for military service | 215,104 males, age 18–49 (2021 est.), 212,739 females, age 18–49 (2021 est.) |
Fit for military service | 163,960 males, age 18–49 (2021 est.), 178,714 females, age 18–49 (2021 est.) |
Reaching military age annually | 9,266 males (2021 est.), 8,916 females (2021 est.) |
Active personnel | 6,500 [1] |
Reserve personnel | Approx 6,200 |
Deployed personnel | 541 [1] |
Expenditures | |
Budget | US $50.1 million (2022) [1] |
Percent of GDP | 1.23% |
Related articles | |
Ranks | Military ranks of Fiji |
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF, formerly the Royal Fiji Military Forces [2] ) is the military force of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of about 6,500 active soldiers and approximately 6,200 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world and the third largest in the South Pacific region. The Ground Force is organised into six infantry and one engineer battalions.
The first two regular battalions of the Fiji Infantry Regiment are traditionally stationed overseas on peacekeeping duties; the 1st Battalion has been posted to Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and East Timor under the command of the UN, while the 2nd Battalion is stationed in Sinai with the MFO. Peacekeepers income represents an important source of income for Fiji. The 3rd Battalion is stationed in the capital, Suva, and the remaining three are spread throughout the islands.
The Fiji Infantry Regiment is the main combat element of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. The regiment was formed with the foundation of the Fijian armed forces in 1920. The regiment, as it is today, goes back to 1978 following Fiji's independence.
The Republic of Fiji Navy was formed in 1975, following the government's ratification of the United Nations Law of the Sea convention. The Navy is responsible for maritime needs in border control, such as watching over Fiji's exclusive economic zone and organising task and rescue missions. It currently operates 9 patrol boats. Military aid is received from Australia, the People's Republic of China, and the United Kingdom (although the latter has suspended aid as a result of the 2006 military coup against the civilian government).
Speaking at 30th anniversary celebrations on 26 July 2006, Commander Bradley Bower said that the greatest challenge facing the navy of a maritime country like Fiji was to maintain sovereignty and the maritime environment, to acquire, restore, and replace equipment, and to train officers to keep pace with changing situations.
In January 2019 five of Fiji's naval vessels were operational. [18] In 2020 Australia will provide two new Guardian-class patrol vessels to replace the three vessels it provided over thirty years ago In December 2019 Fiji took delivery of RFNS Volasiga, boosting the number of operational vessels to six. [19] The Guardian-class patrol boat RFNS Savenaca was officially handed over to Fijian officials, in Henderson, Australia, on 6 March 2020. [20] [21] [22]
Northern Air operates search and rescue flights for the Navy. [23]
3 x Pacific-class patrol boat (Australia, displacement 162 t, length 31.5 metres (103 ft 4 in), width 8.1 metres (26 ft 7 in) draught 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in), power 2 x 1,050 kilowatts (1,410 shp), maximal speed 20 knots (37 km/h), crew 17-man, armament machine guns 1 x 12.7 mm). These boats replaced discharged Redwing-class minesweepers FNS Kula, Kikau and Kiro, gained 1975 – 1976 from the United States Navy.
2 patrol boat (US, displacement 97 t, crew 11-man, armament machine guns 1 x 12.7 mm)
4 Dabur-class patrol boat (Israel, displacement 39 t, crew 9-man, armament 2 x cannon 20 mm, 2 x machine guns 7.62 mm)
2 Oceanic survey vessels
Rank designation based on the British tradition. [24] [25]
The rank insignia for commissioned officers for the army and navy respectively. They are based on the rank structure of Royal Navy and British Army.
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Major general | Brigadier | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rear admiral | Commodore | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander | Lieutenant | Sub-Lieutenant | Ensign | Midshipman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The rank insignia for enlisted personnel for the army and navy respectively. They are based on the ranks of the Royal Navy and British Army.
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Warrant officer class 1 | Warrant officer class 2 | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Corporal | Lance corporal | Private (or equivalent) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Warrant officer class 1 | Warrant officer class 2 | Chief petty officer | Petty officer | Leading seaman | Ordinary seaman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted |
Fiji's military has a history of political intervention. [26] In 1987, soldiers were responsible for two military coups, and in 2000, the military organised a countercoup to quash George Speight's civilian coup. Since 2000, the military has had a sometimes tense relationship with the Qarase government, and has strongly opposed its plans to establish a Commission with the power to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the coup. Among other objections, the military claims that its integrity and discipline would be undermined if soldiers who mutinied in the 2000 upheaval were to be pardoned.
On 4 August 2005, Opposition Leader Mahendra Chaudhry called for more Indo-Fijians, who presently comprise less than one percent of the military personnel, to be recruited. (Specifically, as of October 2007, Fiji's military had 3527 full-time members, of whom only 15 were Indo-Fijians. [27] ) This would help guarantee political stability, he considered. He also spoke against government plans to downsize the military. Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Orisi Rabukawaqa responded the next day by saying that the military was not an ethnic Fijian body, that it stood to serve the entire nation, and that there was no colour bar in its recruitment or promotion. He said that many Indo-Fijians had been reluctant to commit themselves to a military career because of the slow progress of promotion, often preferring to be discharged and to use their record as a stepping stone to a successful career in some other field. Nevertheless, he appreciated the Indo-Fijian contribution to the military, and noted the success of Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Aziz, the head of the military's legal unit who was a pivotal figure in the court martial of soldiers who mutinied in 2000. Ironically the rate of promotion of indigenous Fijian officers had been very rapid after the 1987 coup, and subsequent expansion of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
On 26 August 2005, the government announced plans to study ways to reduce the size of the military. Military engineers would be transferred to the Regional Development Ministry, said Home Affair Minister Josefa Vosanibola, and the reduction of the military forces would coincide with an increase in the numbers of the police force.
On 26 September 2005, Rabukawaqa revealed that the military had decided to curtail certain operations to stay within its budget. The cuts would affect maritime patrols, search and rescue operations, training and exercises, School Cadet training, and the deployment of military engineers to rural areas. These cuts would be made to ensure that activities accorded a higher priority, such as peacekeeping operations in the Sinai Peninsula and Iraq, officer cadet training with the New Zealand Defence Forces, and the prosecution of soldiers charged with mutiny, would not be affected, Rabukawaqa said.
The next day, Lesi Korovavala, chief executive officer of the Ministry of Home Affairs, told the Fiji Village news service that the military had undertaken the reductions on its own initiative, in consultation with the department, an explanation corroborated by Lieutenant Colonel Rabukawaqa.
On 5 December 2006, the Fijian army staged a third coup d'état. On 7 February 2008, the head of the RFMF and post-coup interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama stated: "Qarase [...] does not understand the role of the Military and as such is misinforming the nation. [...] [I]f there are practices and policies which have potential to undermine the national security and territorial integrity of Fiji, the RFMF has every right under the Constitution to intervene." [28] In August 2009, with Bainimarama still controlling the government as prime minister and the constitution abrogated, Epeli Nailatikau, a former military commander, was appointed acting president on the retirement of Iloilo.
Fiji committed troops to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. [29] Australia agreed to transport those troops. [30]
Fiji sent 54 individuals to Australia, to help fight wildfires there. [30]
The Air Wing of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, founded in 1987, had a base at the airport in Nausori, but was abolished in 1997. Yehonatan Shimʻon Frenḳel writes that the "Air Wing was formed after the 1987 coup, when the French provided two helicopters as part of its military aid package." [31] Frenkel goes on to say that the air wing was disbanded after both helicopters crashed and after subsequent revelations of huge debts incurred as a result of the aircraft.
The two helicopters were:
Aircraft type | Variants | Origin | Role | Service period | Notes |
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Eurocopter AS 365N2 Dauphin 2 | AS 365N2 Dauphin | ![]() | Transport and liaison helicopter | 1989–1994 | One helicopter. Matriculation marker DQ-FGD. |
Aerospatiale AS 355F-2 Twin Squirrel | AS 355F-2 Twin Squirrel | ![]() | Transport and liaison helicopter | 1991–1997 | One helicopter. Matriculation marker DQ-FGH. |
Helicopter AS-365 N2 Dauphin crashed off the coast of the main island in July 1994; a smaller AS-355F-2 continued in service until mid-1997 and in 1999 was sold to France.
The Air Wing did not have its own roundel or ensign and its only marking was the national flag used as a fin flash. [32]
Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama is a Fijian politician and former naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst party, which he founded in 2014, he began his career as an officer in the Fijian navy and commander of the Fijian military. Despite being suspended from Parliament, he served as the opposition leader from 24 December 2022 until 8 March 2023, when he resigned and was replaced by Inia Seruiratu.
The Fiji Infantry Regiment is the main combat element of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. It is a light infantry regiment consisting of six battalions, of which three are regular army and three are Territorial Force. The regiment was formed with the foundation of the Fijian armed forces in 1920. The regiment, as it is today, goes back to 1978 following Fiji's independence. The Royal Australian Infantry Corps and Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment conduct yearly training seminars and exercises with the Fiji Infantry Regiment
Since attaining independence from the United Kingdom on 10 October 1970, Fijian history has been marked by exponential economic growth up to 1987, followed by relative stagnation, caused to a large extent by political instability following two military coups in 1987 and a civilian putsch in 2000. This was followed by another military coup in 2006. Rivalry between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians, rather than ideological differences, have been the most visible cleavage of Fijian politics. Later in 2020, Fiji was hit by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the economy and the daily lives of the people.
Major-General Jioji Konousi "George" Konrote, is a Fijian politician and retired Major-General of the Fiji Military who served as the President of Fiji from 2015 to 2021. After commanding a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, Konrote served as Fiji's High Commissioner to Australia from 2001 to 2006, as Minister of State for Immigration briefly in 2006, and as Minister for Employment Opportunities, Productivity and Industrial Relations from 2014 to 2015. He was the first non-iTaukei president, the first not to be a chief, and the first Seventh-day Adventist to be elected by parliament, as previous presidents were selected by the Great Council of Chiefs.
The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 was a coup d'état in Fiji carried out by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), against Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and President Josefa Iloilo. It was the culmination of a political crisis that started the previous year, when the Qarase government introduced three bills to the Fijian Parliament. The Qoliqoli, Land Tribunal, and Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bills dealt with the ongoing ethnic conflicts in Fiji and the aftermath of the 2000 coup, and were considered to be pro-ethnic Fijian. Bainimarama presented the government with a list of demands on October 16 that included withdrawing the bills. Attempts at negotiation failed and the military launched the coup on 4 December. Parliament was dissolved, Qarase and his cabinet were dismissed, and some civilian officials were placed under house arrest. After the Great Council of Chiefs refused to appoint a cabinet friendly to the military, Bainimarama reached an understanding with Iloilo and reinstated him as President on 4 January 2007. Iloilo then appointed Bainimarama acting Prime Minister in charge of the Interim Cabinet.
Operation Morris Dance was an Australian military operation conducted in May 1987 in response to the first of the 1987 Fijian coups d'état.
Lieutenant Colonel Pita Driti is a former Fijian soldier who played a prominent role in the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. He served as the Land Force Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, the third most senior position in the Military.
Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto is a Fijian soldier, politician and former Cabinet Minister. After serving as Commander of the Republic of Fiji Navy, he was appointed as a Minister in the military regime of dictator Frank Bainimarama. He was later appointed commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, before being elected to the Parliament of Fiji in December 2022.
Jone Baledrokadroka is a Fijian academic and former soldier who served briefly as Republic of Fiji Military Forces Land Force Commander in January 2006. He was dismissed from the post after only four days after RFMF Commander Frank Bainimarama accused him of planning a mutiny. He is the son of former senator and Taukei ni Waluvu Ratu Alipate Baledrokadroka and the brother of Senator Adi Lagamu Vuiyasawa. He is also the uncle for New Zealand netballer Erikana Pedersen.
The Guardian-class patrol boats are a class of small patrol vessels designed and built in Australia and provided to small South Pacific Ocean countries as part of the Australian Government's Pacific Maritime Security Program.
RFNS Kula (201) is a Pacific Forum patrol boat operated by Fiji. She was designed and built by Australia. Australia agreed to provide twenty-two patrol boats to twelve of its neighbours and fellow members of the Pacific Forum, after the recently concluded United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended maritime nations' exclusive economic zone to 200 kilometres (110 nmi). Australia provided two other patrol vessels to Fiji, Kikau and Kiro. Australia also provided training and infrastructure.
RFNS Kiro (203) was one of three Pacific Forum patrol boats operated by Fiji. She was the last of the three to be launched, in May 1995, and the first to be retired, when she ran aground and was deemed unsalvable, in 2016.
RFNS Kikau (202) is a Pacific-class patrol boat operated by Fiji. She was designed and built by Australia. Australia agreed to provide twenty-two patrol boats to twelve of its neighbours and fellow members of the Pacific Forum, after the recently concluded United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended maritime nations' exclusive economic zone to 200 kilometres (110 nmi). Australia provided two other patrol vessels to Fiji, Kula and Kiro. Australia also provided training and infrastructure.
HMPNGS Rabaul (01) was the first Pacific Forum patrol vessel to be commissioned, in May 1987. She is not the first vessel of the class to go out of service, because her sister ship from Fiji RFNS Kiro was wrecked in 2016. She arrived in Port Moresby, for disposal, on October 24, 2018. The vessel was named HMPNGS Tarangau.
The Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces is the highest-ranking military officer of in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, who is responsible for maintaining the operational command of the military. The current commander is Major General Jone Kalouniwai.
RFNS Kacau is a hydrographic survey vessel donated by China to the Republic of Fiji Naval Service in 2019. With the capacity for approximately 30 crewmembers she will be Fiji's largest vessel.
RFNS Savenaca (401) is a Guardian-class patrol boat, being built in Australia for Fiji's Navy. She will replace RFNS Kula, a Pacific Forum patrol vessel provided by Australia in 1994. She will be the seventh vessel of the class to be completed, and the second of two to be delivered to Fiji. She will be commissioned in March or April of 2020.
Humphrey Tawake is a senior officer in the Republic of Fiji Naval Service.
The Fijian Navy was created when Fiji ratified the recently created United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea. The Convention established that maritime nation had an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 kilometres, which extended Fiji's waters twentyfold, from 50,000 square miles (130,000 km2) to over 1,000,000 square miles (2,600,000 km2).
Jone Logavatu Kalouniwai is a major general in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) who currently serves as the commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces since 16 September 2021. Previously named as director general of National Security and Intelligence, Ministry of Defence and National Security from May 2020 to September 2021, he also served as section commander in Lebanon and instructor at the RFMF Training School.
A Fijian Soldier fires a Daewoo K2 rifle during live fire training, July 12, 2016, at Ovalau, Fiji, as part of a multi-national, bilateral exercise between Fiji and the U.S.
Meanwhile, there are currently five vessels that oversee the monitoring and surveillance of Fiji's Exclusive Economic Zone which the Navy is responsible for.
Only two years ago, the Fiji Navy had to rely on other foreign vessels to assist them with border surveillance with only one ship in operation. Fast forward two years and there are six vessels in operation.
Chief Executive David Singleton said the first Guardian-class Patrol Boat delivery for 2020 showed it is keeping with its goal of delivering a new naval vessel every 3 months.
Mr Bainimarama said the new vessel could not enter the ranks of Fiji's Navy at a more pressing time. "International criminal networks are hitting the Pacific hard – particularly with the drug trade."
Austal CEO David Singleton said: 'the Pacific Boat Replacement Project [PPB-R] has really hit its stride, with this sixth Guardian-class Patrol Boat benefiting from a number of innovative production processes that have reduced production time, while maintaining quality.'
A RAAF KC-30 carrying 170 soldiers from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) has departed for Sinai to support their ongoing peacekeeping mission with the Multinational Force and Observers.
'Fiji's recent contribution of 54 personnel to Australia's response to the bushfire emergency was a welcome and powerful example of the importance of maintaining close ties between our nations.'